Ingredients
- For the stew
- 8 - 10 hogget or lamb neck chops on the bone
- 70ml rapeseed oil
- 1 leek
- 2 carrots
- 1 large parsnip
- 1/4 of a turnip
- 20g fresh sage, rosemary and thyme
- 3 garlic cloves
- 200g chopped water cress
- 2 x 500ml bottles Buried at Sea stout or similar
- 30g tomato paste
- 20g Marigold vegetable boullion
- For the dumplings
- 250g self-raising flour
- 125g suet or butter
- 100g chopped chives
- Salt and pepper
- Milk to bind
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Brown the neck chops in the rapeseed oil in a large frying pan.
Add these with all the vegetables and herbs to a casserole dish with a tight fitting lid. Mix the tomato paste and vegetable boullion with the stout and pour into the casserole dish.
Make sure everything is well covered in liquid, topping up with water if not. Bring everything to the boil on the hob and then put on the tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven. The longer you can leave this one in the oven, the better. Leave the lid on and keep at a low heat until the meat falls off the bone - at least three hours.
Meanwhile, to make the dumplings, rub the flour and fat together using your finger tips as you would if you were making scones. Add the chives and seasoning and a drop of milk at a time until the mixture comes together.
When the meat is cooked to your satisfaction, put the dumpling mix in small even sized pieces on top of the casserole and bake for a further 15 minute with the lid off, until golden.
